A Freeing Touch
by Srinalyn
Summary: Midoriya Izuku often lays awake at night, thinking, tracing the outline of the mark that determines who his soulmate is. (Todoroki Shouto does the same thing, but Midoriya is completely unaware of this.)
1. Chapter 1

Just a note, this is is an alternate universe kind of thing that's still in the canon universe. The only differences are the fact that soulmates exist here (I'll elaborate on that in a second), and that the students already stay in dorms (I'm pretty sure that's not a thing in the anime? I dunno man)

This soulmate AU doesn't really need explanation, as I explain it within the story. If you get confused, I may elaborate on it later.

On a final note, there will be some background Kiribaku/Bakushima in here, just be aware.

* * *

At precisely 3 in the morning, Midoriya Izuku was staring up at the ceiling, absentmindedly tracing the outline of a large mark on his arm with his fingers.

(At the same time, in a room not far from his own, Todoroki Shouto was doing the same with own mark, or where the mark would've been anyway.

The scar around his eye served as a constant reminder of why he had chosen to forfeit the use of his fire, along with providing the knowledge that someone, _his soulmate_ , would touch it, perhaps because of the same fascination others had with it. Before the boiling water had hit his skin, there had been a mark resembling fingers gently dragged along the skin under his eye, and he had been confused as to why someone would touch there of all places, but the reason later became obvious.)

Midoriya's mark, the one around his arm, took the shape of a hand, slightly larger than his own. It wasn't an uncommon place for people to touch, so he knew he'd likely never see the moment coming. Ever since arriving at U.A., they'd done a lot of training, allowing for countless moments of his classmates grabbing his arm. Not once had he felt the rush that was talked about so often, nor had he witnessed the black of the mark suddenly change into a plethora of colors, another telltale sign that 'hey! that's your soulmate!'.

He wasn't too concerned about it, he was only in highschool, so he had plenty of time. He was just jealous in a sense, he'd seen people meet their soulmates in _middle school_ , and he was plain curious on who his would be. It was frustrating, having a mark that got touched painfully often, while he'd seen others with the kind of marks that only one person would ever touch.

Soulmates and quirks. They were the kinds of things Midoriya would stay up thinking about, depriving himself of the sleep he knew was important on the road to becoming a hero.

(Unbeknownst to him, Todoroki stayed awake thinking about the exact same things.)

* * *

Arriving to class sleep deprived was never the best idea, especially when you went to school at U.A. Sparring was the focus of much of the day, and Midoriya was paired up with Iida, someone who was always awake and ready for anything class threw at him. While Midoriya was certainly awake at this point, his movements were more sluggish than usual, and Iida was the one going more on the offensive.

At one point, one of his feet had gotten caught on the other, causing him to stumble backwards and fall. He shut his eyes at the moment his back made contact with the ground, opening them a moment later.

He looked up to see Iida reaching a hand out to him, speaking as he did so, "Midoriya! Are you alright? You seem distracted, you are getting a full 8 hours of sleep, right? Getting enough sleep is essential to productivity during the day!"

Midoriya grinned sheepishly, taking the hand, "Yeah, I'm okay! I got a little less sleep than that but..." he let out a slight laugh, "It's alright, I'll make sure to go to sleep earlier tonight!"

He brushed himself off, and placed himself back into sparring position.

As Iida did the same, he smiled, "Good, it's important to take care of yourself, remember that!"

Midoriya was thankful for Iida's concern, and perked up slightly, focusing more on the sparring, and daring to take the offensive more often than he had previously. His facial expression changed into one of determination, and the sparring session ended up being quite productive for him.

He was so focused, he had failed to notice a certain pair of heterochromatic eyes watching him.

* * *

Despite Iida's insistence, Midoriya didn't get 8 hours of sleep during the following nights. The mark on his arm was just so _distracting_ , and always sent his mind into a never-ending spiral of thinking.

Some nights he'd try to coax his mind into a state of relaxation, getting up and out of his room to get a midnight snack, or have a cup a of tea. Sometimes, as he'd enter the kitchen, he swears he'll see a flash of red and white hair leaving the room. It makes him wonder if he's not the only one who can't get to sleep.

(He's certainly not, but Todoroki prefers not to make conversation with the others, and leaves the kitchen whenever he sees or hears Midoriya enter.)

But, as the moment always went by so quickly, he could never be sure that he really saw it. He had tried to make his entrances quieter, in hopes he could confirm his suspicions, but he never saw anything more than the back of the person's head. Eventually he had decided that he was, in fact, not imagining things, and he really did keep seeing someone, but he still wished he could at least talk to the person.

The person, made obvious by the hair, was Todoroki, Midoriya soon realized. The wish to talk to the person only grew when he realized this, as Todoroki was one of the only people in the class he had never really spoken to. The boy was secluded, and had made it clear he had no intention of making friends with anyone, let alone Midoriya. It came as no surprise when he'd quickly exit the room as Midoriya entered.

(Sometimes, however, Todoroki would hesitate for a moment and wonder whether he should allow himself to stay, before inevitably going back to his room.)

* * *

Midoriya's wardrobe consisted mostly of shirts that had sleeves, so his mark wasn't usually terribly obvious. However, for class, when they'd need to change clothes (today was one of those days), the black mark was there for all the boys to see. Sometimes, Kirishima would mention something about it, a joke of some sort. As the mark was still visible, everyone knew he hadn't met (or at least, hadn't been touched) by his soulmate yet.

He knew many of the others hadn't either, as he had just glanced around, seeing several people with the marks still on them.

It was the first time he'd really taken the time to see just how many of his classmates were possibly in the same boat as him. He was, perhaps a bit selfishly, relieved when he saw that most people hadn't been touched by their soulmate thus far.

There were exceptions of course, those being Bakugou and Kirishima (whom everyone suspected were soulmates), and Todoroki.

The latter was already someone he was intrigued by, and seeing a lack of a mark intrigued him even further. Todoroki wasn't someone who fraternized with the others, and he'd never seen him touch anyone aside from in training. Midoriya figured that it was likely Todoroki's soulmate was someone who didn't go to U.A, but he still had doubts about it, though he was unsure as to why.

He soon realized he was staring when Todoroki turned and looked at him, giving him a cold, questioning look. He stared for just a moment longer, before turning away, his face flushed.

(The look had softened, just as Midoriya turned away, and Todoroki silently hoped the look hadn't seemed as cold as it likely did.)

He scolded himself for looking for so long, and finished slipping his shirt over his head as he left the locker room alongside his classmates.

He took a moment to glance back at Todoroki, who had turned away again, and realized for the first time that he was the only one of his classmates that had never touched his skin.


	2. Chapter 2

I should stop writing so late at night adshsfdj

Thank you for all the support so far!

* * *

Midoriya wasn't quite sure what he planned to do with his sudden epiphany about Todoroki.

The moment of realization had came for only a moment, and it was somewhat of a shock, but not enough of one to stall him in his current activities. He continued to chat with Iida about the upcoming sports festival as his thoughts wandered around the idea of soulmates and Todoroki himself. He was fairly sure Todoroki had already met his soulmate, so the idea of him touching his skin and somehow being his soulmate was simply impossible. Even so, Midoriya felt a strange tug at the back of his mind, pulling his thoughts toward Todoroki, but to no idea he had not already thought of.

He glanced back, and saw as Todoroki trailed after them, alone as he headed back to the dorms; the same as Midoriya himself was doing. Midoriya thought for a moment, playing with the idea of stopping a moment until Todoroki caught up, in order to talk with him. The idea was quickly scrapped as he realized this was _Todoroki_ he was talking about. Even so, he fought with the idea a moment more, as he was plain curious about, well, everything about him.

Midoriya figured he must have stopped walking, as Iida and Uraraka (who had just caught up with them) looked at him questioningly, and Todoroki looked closer than he had before. Along with the realization of his lack of movement came the realization that he had been staring at Todoroki, for the second time that day. He looked away, screaming at himself internally, and continued walking as if nothing had happened. Todoroki's look had gone cold again, and Midoriya wasn't sure staring at him was the best course of action if he wanted to befriend him.

He didn't look back again, afraid he'd be met with another unnerving stare, and lost himself in conversation with Uraraka and Iida.

(The stare he would've been met with wasn't an angry or cold one, but a questioning one, but there was no way for him to know that.)

The conversation came to a halt when they had gotten to the dorms, and gone their separate ways. Midoriya headed to his room, throwing himself onto his bed the moment he got into the doorway. His mind was flooded with too many thoughts for him to focus on one thing at once, and he proceeded to bury his face in his pillow. His thoughts darted from Todoroki, to soulmates, to the sports festival and wouldn't stay on one for long. He contemplated just going to sleep, but he knew it was far too early into the day to do so. He instead settled with grabbing a snack and chatting with anyone who he ran into. He sat up, before swinging his legs over the side of the bed, standing up and heading out the door.

(Simultaneously, Todoroki got up from where he was sat in his own room, intending to do the same thing Midoriya planned to do; excluding any talking to his classmates.)

He hummed to himself as he made his way to the living area, glancing around to see some of his classmates sprawled across the couch, a few waving to him. He cheerfully waved back, before turning toward the kitchen area of the place, catching a glance of someone else already there. He thought nothing of it, until he got to the point where he could see that the 'someone else' happened to be Todoroki. The other boy glanced up to look at him for only a moment, before looking away again as he prepared himself a wholesome meal of instant noodles.

Midoriya smiled at him awkwardly, even as he had already turned away, and slipped past him as he went to grab his own package of instant noodles. He would admit, instant noodles weren't the best diet for students like them, but he often settled for them when he only wanted a quick meal. Preparing them usually was quick and easy, taking only a few minutes, but things were different when someone else was doing the same thing he was. Particularly, when _Todoroki_ was doing the same thing as him. He wasn't sure if he should speak at all, or just keep the already existing silence, and Todoroki's occasional glances at him did not help him decide.

Though, the glances were perfectly justified as Midoriya realized for the third time that day that he had been staring at Todoroki. A blush covered much of his face as he turned away again, stirring his noodles a little too quickly. Todoroki's glances had been the same as they'd been the last two times he'd seen them; cold and calculating.

(In reality they were less calculating glances, more curious ones, as Todoroki attempted to figure out why Midoriya had been staring at him; and for the third time that day.)

He stared at the noodles as he dug into them, attempting to eat them before they had cooled down, and scalded his tongue. He winced and glanced up to see Todoroki tilt his head slightly, likely hearing the hiss Midoriya had let out as the noodles hit his tongue. He moved his gaze back to his noodles, once again wondering whether or not he should say something, as he ran his burned tongue along his teeth.

Deciding to bite the bullet and just say something, he murmured "You think you'll do well in the sports festival?" just loud enough for Todoroki to hear.

In response, Midoriya received a shrug from the other, and he wondered if he should've said something else.

(Todoroki wondered if he should've responded differently.)

"I think I'll do alright!" He let out a laugh as he began speaking quickly, "I'll have to train a lot more, but that's a given. I'll just have to try my best in the end, you know?"

"Right."

Midoriya took the one word response as a silent 'I don't want to speak with you' and nodded back, grinning awkwardly as he finished his (now cooled down) noodles, and tossed out the container they had been in.

He made his way out of the kitchen area, glancing back at Todoroki for a moment, accidentally making eye contact. His eyes widened slightly, and he gave a panicked smile and quickly power walked out. Generally, Midoriya was alright with catching his classmates' glances, offering a smile or a wave, but anybody could tell that this case was rather different. Sighing, he ran his hands through his hair as he passed through the living area again, relieved when he heard Kirishima call out at him to join him and the others.

He looked over to see many of his classmates engaged in a movie put at an unnecessarily high volume, and smiled as he walked over to join them. He plopped down next to Kirishima on the couch, who grinned as he explained the events Midoriya had missed.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone leave the kitchen and pass them, pausing for only a moment before leaving.

* * *

Probs gonna go back and edit this a ton, wasn't too pleased with it, I dunno


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi! I'm not dead!**

 **Sorry for the radio silence for a while there, I was too focused on school and finals to realize 'hey! I haven't updated in 84 years!' Not to worry though, all that is over, so updates should be much more common now.**

 **On to notes about the story, chapters will be increasingly longer from now on, as I'm finally getting into the parts that I planned from the start. The juicy stuff, I could say. This chapter's kind of a bridge.**

 **Anyways! Enjoy this update m'dudes, and feel free to yell at me in the comments about taking so long to update.**

* * *

Midoriya couldn't say he didn't think about Todoroki often.

After his failed attempt at conversing in the kitchen, his mind dwelled on it, repeating it over again in his head. Midoriya also couldn't say he loved being reminded of it, and it caused him to often look Todoroki's way, thinking about whether or not the other boy had found it anywhere near as awkward as he had. During these moments, he'd sometimes make eye contact, though only for a moment. He chose to assume it was always coincidental; a moment Todoroki had been glancing around the room.

(It was never a coincidence, though the belief that it was one was mutual.)

It wasn't enough to distract him from class, he was a diligent student after all, but he'd sometimes get nudged by a classmate when he stared for too long. He'd simply shake his head, mumble something about spacing out, and return his focus to the task at hand. At this particular moment, he was carefully following each word Aizawa said, and failed to notice the eyes boring into him from across the room.

(Todoroki had lost track of what Aizawa was saying, and had found himself staring at Midoriya as the event that occurred in the kitchen was replaying through his own mind, and he wondered if he should've been less cold. Though he didn't plan on becoming friends, that he had no time nor means for.)

By the end of class, Midoriya found himself thinking about his conversation (if it could even be considered one) again, and wondered why the human brain insisted on reminding you of the most awkward of occurrences. Shaking his head, he glanced toward Todoroki, who seemed to simply be staring at his desk, still sat there as the rest of the class filed out of the room. As Midoriya stood up himself, he made his way to the door, glancing back at Todoroki. For a split second, he had the idea of saying something, but shook his head again and exited the room. His brain didn't need yet another thing to remind him of every moment of the day.

(If he would've said something, Todoroki would've done more than nod, unlike before.)

* * *

Glancing at his phone, Midoriya decided 8 pm was an acceptable time to lay in bed and contemplate life. This wasn't exactly what he had decided, but it's what inevitably happened after he decided to lay down for a bit. His mind swirled with thoughts of the sports festival, his quirk, and Todoroki. He wasn't sure it was healthy to think about one person so much (All Might was an exception, he'd insist). He couldn't help it though, with how hopeless he seemed to be in befriending him, and the annoying point that they had never made skin-to-skin contact. Again, he reminded himself, it likely meant nothing, as Todoroki's mark was nowhere in sight, and likely had already been touched. And yet, the thought still remained. Even ignoring the mark issue, Midoriya genuinely wanted to _at least_ be on friendly terms with his classmate, but Todoroki clearly wasn't interested. It was frustrating, and Midoriya wanted a break from all the thoughts swirling around in his head.

As he often did, he decided a snack or a drink would do him some good. The kitchen was becoming a dangerous place to venture, but he figured he could brave the terrain, so long as he didn't come across anyone with red and white hair. He sat up, taking a moment to realize what a habit this was becoming, and laughed slightly, a small smile on his lips.

In order to take precaution, he shot a message to Uraraka and Iida;

 **Broccoli:** _Hey, wanna meet up in the kitchen to chat? I'm getting a snack and figured it'd be nice to talk for a bit!_

 **Urararararaka:** _Sure! I'll be there in a minute :)_

 **The Flash:** _As will I! I am glad we all will get some time to talk outside of our academic courses._

Nodding in approval, Midoriya ran his fingers through his hair before standing up fully. He walked toward his door, opening it and flicking the lightswitch off before leaving the room. As he shut the door, he caught sight of Iida out of the corner of his eye, and turned to wave.

"Midoriya! On to the kitchen? Uraraka must be there by now, we shouldn't keep her waiting, punctuality is always important." Iida placed his hands on his lips, as he strode toward Midoriya, speaking quickly.

"Ah, yeah! You're ever the rule follower, huh? Not that that's a bad thing! But, it's just a casual meetup for a snack... " Midoriya trailed off, grinning up at the taller boy. "Anyways, onwards, yeah?"

Once in the kitchen, they were met my Uraraka waving enthusiastically.

"Deku! Iida!," She gestured toward the bowls in front of her, "I'm preparing the wholesome meal of… cereal!" She grinned sheepishly, "Yeah, not very wholesome, but still yummy!"

Iida nodded in turn, "Yes, and depending on the brand, a healthy snack compared to the others available!"

Midoriya joined in, "Yep! I like cereal, even just as a snack." He spoke as he moved and grabbed one of the bowls, sliding it over before taking hold of the box of cereal. He poured some out, and slid the box toward Uraraka once he had enough in his bowl that he deemed filling.

As he moved to the refrigerator to get the carton of milk, he saw a figure move past him and turned to see who it was. As soon as he saw the hair, he knew it was Todoroki.

With Midoriya's own movement in play, the two brushed past each other ever so slightly, and Midoriya felt his breath catch in his throat. He thought, perhaps, he'd finally have confirmation that they were not soulmates (as if Todoroki's lack of a mark wasn't proof enough). The moment seemed to happen in slow motion, and Midoriya swore it happened in 2 minutes in comparison to the 2 seconds it actually was.

However, as Midoriya could breathe again, he realized that they _hadn't touched_. Their sleeves had, yes, but it's skin on skin contact that counts. As he glanced at Todoroki, he wondered if the other boy had the same realization he did, or if he had ever even realized that they had never touched. But he knew that he didn't, because he that _knew_ Todoroki had already found his soulmate. He had no mark in sight, there was no other explanation.

(If Midoriya had taken a moment to really look at Todoroki, he would've seen the same look or turmoil and overthinking on his face.)

He shook his head, and looked up to see Uraraka and Iida looking at him questioningly.

"Midoriya! Are you feeling alright? You seem troubled, and you seemed to have spaced out for a moment."

Uraraka piped in with a concerned tilt of the head, "Yeah, you okay there, Deku?"

Midoriya made quick work of nodding and reassuring them that he was fine, that he was just lost in thought for a few moments. Meanwhile, he watched as Todoroki left the room as quickly as he had entered, leaving with only an apple in hand.

He could barely say another word before he felt Uraraka tug his sleeve up, to reveal his shoulder, and by extension, his soulmate mark. He tilted his head, and looked at Iida for an explanation (he only shrugged, providing no help) before saying something himself.

"U-Uh, Uraraka, what are you doing?"

"Sorry! I just saw how weirdly you looked at Todoroki, and I thought maybe… well, now I know I was wrong!" Uraraka smiled with a hint of awkwardness apparent in her expression.

"Ah, no, it's okay! I understand why you'd think that way, but him and I aren't, you know. I've never even seen his mark, so we couldn't be. I've thought about it too, but it's really not possible." Midoriya bit his lip, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.

"By 'you know', do you mean soulmates, Midoriya? Marks aren't always where they can be seen you know!"

Midoriya hummed lightly, as he finished the job of pouring his milk, before speaking again.

"I know, but why would it be where I couldn't see it? Given that we go to UA, you'd think it'd be an easily seen place, since it'd probably happen from sparring or something."

Uraraka leaned back against the counter, "Are you saying that you two haven't touched before? Then you never know, Deku~! I mean, maybe his mark's on his scalp or something, and you'll end up punching him in the head!"

Midoriya nearly choked on his cereal as Uraraka simply smiled brightly at him. Iida moved to help him, but Midoriya quickly waved him off as he recovered and cleared his throat.

"God, I hope not. How much would it suck to punch your soulmate in the head? Like, imagine you being on the receiving end. Your head feels like it's being split open, but you also realize that, hey, the person who punched you is your soulmate. And besides, Todoroki's kind of intimidating… I feel like he'd trap me in ice or something, soulmate or not." He chowed down on another spoonful of cereal before continuing, "He's probably not my soulmate. I'm just overthinking it, that's all."

He licked his lips, before finishing up the last of his cereal and turning toward Iida and Uraraka.

"Anyways… we should all probably head to sleep. Tomorrow's Saturday and I'm looking forward to some time off of school grounds."

"Yeah, me too, I wish I could see my parents more often! Oh, dear weekends, how I long for you to last just a day longer!" Uraraka spoked the last sentence as if she was in a dramatic play sequence, and Midoriya almost snorted.

"Yes! And to make our weekends more productive, it is important that we get a good amount of sleep. So, good night you two." Iida nodded at them, before leaving the room.

Midoriya placed his own bowl in the sink, about to leave himself, before he felt Uraraka place a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, don't stress too much about the whole soulmate thing, okay?" She gave him a soft smile, before letting her hand fall to her side again.

He nodded, smiling back, and watched as she left to go back to her room.

Sighing, Midoriya placed his own bowl in the sink, and ran a hand through his hair. He turned and made his way out of the kitchen, heading back down the hallway toward his room. Quite frankly, Midoriya was exhausted, and was determined to get a good night's sleep. So, as he arrived in his room, he all but collapsed on the mattress.

However, anxious thoughts have the tendency to delay the effects of exhaustion, and Midoriya had the sudden realization that the sports festival was the following week. Well, it's not as if he'd not been aware before; classes had largely focused on preparation after all. It was more of a _'ohh man, the sports festival is next week'_ kind of realization. He groaned, and hoped his training over the past two weeks would pay off.

Exhaustion did end up winning the fight against the thoughts bouncing around in Midoriya's head, and his eyelids began to droop. Within a matter of minutes, he was fast asleep.

(A few rooms away, Todoroki Shouto was still wide awake.)


	4. Chapter 4

The weekend was relaxing, if not uneventful, for Midoriya. His mother fretted over him quite a bit, as the sports festival was coming up, and he had to assure her multiple times that he would try not to hurt himself.

He grimaced at this, as he was well aware he would likely break a bone. Or multiple.

(For Todoroki, the weekend was one of training. In particular, training with his father. They hadn't trained as much recently, with Todoroki choosing to stay at the dorms more often than not. It wasn't as if it was mandatory to stay in the dorms, he lived close enough that he could go home each day, but he liked to avoid his household, for obvious reasons.)

Midoriya glanced at his phone, checking the time. He'd planned to head back to the dorms the following morning, as long as he got up early enough to make it on time. He silently cursed the distance between UA and his house, not looking forward to the early start.

He pocketed his cell, choosing to focus on the television. A movie was on, though he wasn't quite sure what it was about as he'd only switched to the channel minutes ago, finding that it was already 30 minutes in. He puffed out his cheeks, huffing. There was no fun to watching something when he had no idea what was going on.

Though, he was spared from further confusion when his mom poked his shoulder gently.

"Honey, it's time to eat. You're not in the middle of that movie, are you?"

He grinned, mood instantly improving at the mention of food, "No, I don't even know what's going on in it, honestly."

She nodded, offering a warm smile, "alright, then come eat, will you?"

Already standing up from his spot on the couch, he followed her into the kitchen. His gaze immediately fell onto the table, stomach rumbling as he saw the noodles and rice waiting for him. Cup noodles could never compare to his mom's noodles, in the end.

(And as Midoriya sat to eat and chat with his mother, Todoroki endured flames licking at his skin and punches thrown at him. The eyes that looked down at him were angry, challenging, and Todoroki endured. Even as he felt the heat and pressure of a fist paired with fire hit his side, he didn't once summon his flames. He stared right back, eyes looking at Endeavor with his own challenge, as he called to his ice.)

Midoriya, for the fifth time that day, asked his mother not to worry.

"But, Izuku, I'm your mother, I can't help but worry! Please take care of yourself this week." Her eyes were pleading, and her eyebrows furrowed.

Midoriya gave a reassuring smile, "mom, really, I'll be fine. I promise I'll try not to break any bones."

She offered a small smile in return, "Alright, alright, I trust you then."

He grinned, before focusing on the task on finishing his half eaten noodles, savoring the taste. Really, if there was one thing he hated about the dorms, it would be that he didn't get to eat his mom's cooking every day.

As he cleaned out his bowl and pushed it aside, his told his mother about his various classes and studies. He was thankful he could say that he was doing well in all of them, as he wasn't sure what he'd do if he was doing badly. It warmed his heart to see his mom look so proud of him, and his grin grew.

He kept talking, darting from topic to topic, up until the point his mother shooed him to bed, insisting he need his sleep so he could wake up well rested the next morning.

"Okay, okay, I'm going. Night mom."

"Goodnight, Izuku!"

Midoriya stepped into his room, closing the door behind him. He looked up and around, admiring all of his All Might merchandise. While it was true that he had quite a bit in his dorm room, but nothing could live up to his bedroom.

Smiling, in both contentment and anticipation, he collapsed on his bed. He silently thanked his past self for changing into clothes appropriate for sleeping ahead of time, and let himself sink into the mattress. Quickly, he found himself drifting off into a restful sleep.

(Todoroki on the other hand, found himself sitting in his own bedroom, spreading ice along the burns and bruises that littered his torso and arms. His legs were mostly untouched, save for a bruise here and there. He wasn't concerned about the injuries, they happened far too often for him to have any worries about scarring. He knew how to prevent that.)

* * *

When morning came, Midoriya woke to soft knocks on his door. He groaned, letting out a noise of acknowledgement, hesitant to leave the safety of his bed covers.

Eventually, he was forced to drag himself out, and he ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to tame it as he looked in the mirror. As expected, his hair remained a curly mess. He shrugged, a cheerful expression adorning his face again, as his body slowly began to wake up.

He moved toward his dresser, picking up the neatly folded uniform that was sat on top of it. Midoriya slipped out of the clothes he was currently wearing, taking a second to wonder how his pants had managed to twist around his legs in such a way, before tossing them in a basket across the room.

After quickly putting on the main components of the uniform, he haphazardly pulled on his tie, before grabbing his phone and peeking his head out into the hallway. Upon looking out, his mom saw him and smiled, and Midoriya's eyes brightened as he saw breakfast layed out for him.

As the rest of his body joined him in the hallway, he took a glance at his phone, making a mental note to respond to the messages when he left for UA, before placing it in his pocket.

Midoriya made his way into the kitchen, practically dropping himself onto the chair as he thanked his mom for breakfast.

He dug into his food and- (and Todoroki sat on an uncomfortable bench, waiting for the bus to come, even though he was well aware it wouldn't be there for another half an hour. His body ached, but he only looked down at his feet, ignoring the way his stomach begged to be fed. He'd settle for eating when he arrived at the dorms. A lack of dinner the previous night hardly mattered.)

A content sigh escaped his lips as the last of his food was gobbled up. Reaching his hand into his pocket and pulling out his cellphone, he glanced at the time, huffing when he realized he needed to leave. Standing up and picking up his bag, he waved to his mom as he took a few steps toward the front door.

"Bye mom!"

She rushed to where he was,"Ah, Izuku, bye! Please be careful during training and the festival." she fretted over him, worriedly checking to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything

He backed away a couple steps, sheepishly reassuring her, "Mom. I'll be fine! Really!"

"Alright, alright," she pouted, "good luck in the sports festival! I'm sure you'll do well."

Midoriya grinned, answering back with a 'thanks!' before turning the door handle and heading out. She smiled as the morning air hit his face, feeling more refreshed than he had a minute ago.

He walked just about a block away, to the nearest bus stop, responding to various texts along the way.

(And Todoroki, taking the time to glance at his own phone, found his messages devoid of activity, besides a text from his father telling him to do his best in the festival. He scoffed, pocketing his phone again.)

 **Urararararaka:** _The sports festival is this week! Are you guys excited?_

 **The Flash:** _Yes, I am! I am also making sure I train my hardest these last days in order to prepare, and I encourage you both to do the same._

 **Broccoli:** _i'm excited but also kinda nervous :;(∩´﹏_ _`∩);:_

 **Urararararaka:** _Me too, but I'm sure we'll do great! Do your best!_

He smiled, before pulling out a pair of earbuds and boarding the bus (that he swears came early) just as he arrived at the bus stop. Tapping on his music app, he allowed himself to lose himself in the music, tucked in a corner of the bus.

As he leaned against his seat, he scrolled through various social media he had installed, not fully paying attention. After exhausting all of those outlets, he placed it back into his pocket, sighing lightly.

He felt the bus lurch to a stop, and braced himself as he nearly slipped off his seat. As it fully stopped, he composed himself, avoiding the gaze of a couple nearby passengers.

Only one person boarded the bus, and Midoriya paid little attention until the person chose to sit in the opposite corner of it, and he couldn't help but catch a glimpse of them. It was hard to miss such a recognizable look after all.

As he stared at one Todoroki Shouto, he wondered how he managed to continually show up in the most unlikely of places ever since Midoriya had that stupid (and absolutely not relevant, he'd tell himself) realization. Coincidences seemed to be very prominent in his life, he decided.

When his gaze was met by the other, and two mismatched eyes stared back, Midoriya felt his face flush from the embarrassment. Even so, he couldn't help but look a little longer, at how the other's eyes betrayed nothing about what he felt. He almost wanted to see what the boy was hiding behind his poker face. Though, he knew that was silly, Todoroki seemed determined to stay closed off to anyone else. He sighed, looking away, busying himself with his phone again.

(Todoroki himself looked just a smidge longer, wondering what had Midoriya so interested that he hadn't tore his eyes away right away.)

 **Broccoli:** _hhh todoroki's on the same bus i am_

 **Urararararaka:** _Ooh! The ever mysterious Todoroki! Have you two touched yet? I really wanna know if you two are soulmateess_

 **Broccoli:** _no;; and he's probably not!_

 **The Flash:** _You never know, Midoriya! Soulmates can often be who you least expect!_

 **Broccoli:** _T-T_

He let out a small laugh at the texts, before stealing another glance of Todoroki. Looking at him now, Midoriya could see the bags under his eyes, and the way the air seemed chillier around him, judging by the way people near him shivered.

Perhaps it was just from stress due to the sports festival, as Midoriya knew what that felt like all too well. It seemed like the logical choice, and he refrained from staring any longer; the boy was still quite intimidating and receiving a glare from him was something Midoriya was not interested in.

Luckily for him, he didn't need to worry about accidentally looking too long, as the bus came to a stop moments laters. He and Todoroki both stood, and Midoriya pointedly chose to look at the ground as he made his way off the bus. It was for the best anyway, he probably would've ended up tripping otherwise.

The walk toward the dorms was awkward, to say the least. As both of them were heading the same way, they were forced to walk next to each other. Clearly, Todoroki didn't plan on saying anything, and Midoriya didn't know what he could say. Conversations with Todoroki weren't exactly things that were easy to start or maintain. Midoriya knew that firsthand.

Though, he couldn't help but notice Todoroki's movements. They seemed slower than usual, almost as if… he was in pain?

(Sore was a better word than pain, the burns and bruises hardly hurt anymore, his muscles only ached from walking movements. Todoroki loathed the fact that Midoriya seemed to notice, and refused to look at the other boy.)

He brushed away the thought, hoping that Todoroki was simply tired and sluggish this morning. That was more likely, in his mind.

Sighing, for the upteenth time that morning, he looked up to find that they'd reached the dorm building and the next sigh was one of relief.

Stepping inside, Todoroki a few steps behind him, Midoriya braced himself for the week to come.

(Todoroki, with muscles still aching, did the same thing.)


	5. Chapter 5

The sports festival was that day, and Midoriya could only be described as a ball of both anxiety and excitement.

This was what he, along with all his classmates, had been preparing for for weeks. This was when all that training paid off, he hoped. Even so, years of habit with analysing all the possible outcomes did have quite an effect on his level of confidence.

As he stood in the waiting room with his classmates, all in varying levels of nervousness, he thought he'd be left to think and plan his actions for the event. Perhaps a few nervous glances and nods from the others around him, a few interruptions from hushed whispers from others doing the same thing as him. However, as he glanced around, he noticed someone approaching him that seemed to give his mind no rest as of recent.

Todoroki had been on his mind quite often, though that might even be an understatement. With each time they'd even been near each other, Midoriya would suck in a breath, waiting for skin on skin contact so his thoughts could finally be put to rest. However, that contact never came and Midoriya found no rest for his thoughts and suspicions. He'd mutter under his breath sometimes, catching Todoroki's attention and causing Uraraka to nudge him and bring him out of his thoughts. When that happened, he'd sheepishly look away, and ignore the strange pull he always felt toward the taller boy.

Now, though, he was sure he hadn't been muttering all that loudly, so he was uncertain as to why Todoroki would be approaching him.

"Midoriya."

He turned, "Ah, Todoroki, what is it?"

"Looking at things objectively, I think I'm stronger than you."

Midoriya blinked, "huh? Well, yeah…"

"But, All Might has his eye on you, doesn't he?"

Midoriya stiffened, and couldn't help but wonder if Todoroki was onto the truth about his quirk. Wouldn't he be more upfront about it? Or perhaps he was aware of how much this could change if the information got out.

Todoroki interrupted his thoughts as he continued on, "But I'm going to beat you."

After saying this, he turned to walk away, but Midoriya spoke out after him.

"Todoroki, I don't know what you thinking when you say you'll beat me, but of course you're better than me." He was suddenly aware of the rest of the class watching intently, "I think you're more capable than most people… but I can't afford to fall behind. I'll be going for it with everything I have, too."

Todoroki, still looking back at him, nodded lightly.

"Yeah."

* * *

As Midoriya walked out, along with the rest of the freshmen class, toward the stage, he forces himself to take a deep breath and try to relax. Uraraka and Iida walked alongside him, both giving him reassuring smiles when they saw his nerves acting up.

He watched as Midnight stood up on the stage, speaking loud and clear, asking for Bakugou to go up onto the stage as the freshman representative.

Midoriya stands in shock, taken aback by the choice, "What? It's Kacchan?"

Sero reminded him that he did place first in entrance exam. Still, it was rather unbelievable, considering it was _Bakugou_.

Midoriya braced himself, likely what the rest of the students were also doing, as Bakugou cleared his throat and spoke into the mic

His speech was, well, basically what Midoriya expected it to be. He listened as the students erupted with booing and yelling once Bakugou made his position clear.

(And Todoroki? Well, Todoroki hardly listened at all.)

* * *

The obstacle course, overall, was a nice boost to Midoriya's morale. Finishing in first had been difficult, put he pulled it off and he certainly had a right to be proud of that.

(Todoroki, on the other hand, took his position of second as something more to push him to excel in the rest of the challenges. He was upset, beaten by the boy he'd pledged to overpower earlier that day, and made a decision to not let it happen again. He'd excel, and he'd do it with his ice.)

* * *

The cavalry battle, from an outsider's view, went well for Todoroki and his team. They'd be right on the 'team' front, but wrong on the 'Todoroki' front.

Midoriya's team had gotten dangerously close to Todoroki's team; so close that Todoroki was forced to use his fire and force his team to stand back to avoid it. The strangest part about it all was the fact that Midoriya had never seen Todoroki use his fire, and now that he had, Todoroki seemed as shocked as the rest of them. Even after the fact, Midoriya saw Todoroki's narrowed eyebrows and an emotion in his features that he couldn't quite place.

He would've thought that the fact they won first place would've placed at least a hint of a smile on the other's face, but he was surprised to see that Todoroki looked unhappy, if anything.

He pushed the realization out of his mind, and was relieved to see that their team had gotten fourth, allowing them to move on in the tournament.

Midoriya grinned, ready to join his friends for the noonday break, when Todoroki approached him, asking to talk to him in private.

Midoriya was… apprehensive. He wasn't quite sure what he'd have to say to him now, seeing as he'd already given him his great declaration basically saying that he'd beat him in the tournament. Perhaps he'd confront him about how weird Midoriya was around him, and he'd be forced to have an awkward conversation about the whole soulmate situation.

(Todoroki, in fact, was trying to push the soulmate thing out of his mind and would never mention such a thing to anyone, let alone Midoriya. He only wanted to explain his motivations; prove how determined he was to beat Midoriya. He had to.)

And so, Midoriya stood there on the opposite side of the cramped space, nervously looking at Todoroki, whose expression was cold and intimidating. His hand instinctively came to rest on his arm, upon the mark that he always worried and stressed over. He braced himself for Todoroki's words, unsure as to what they could be.

"So… what did you want to talk about?"

Midoriya paused, waiting for Todoroki to answer, and continued on when the other said nothing.

"If we don't hurry, the cafeteria will probably be really crowded…"

He was met with more silence, and awkwardly tapped his foot, staring at the other. Todoroki didn't break eye contact, his eyebrows narrowed and his aura giving off pure, cold intimidation. Finally, he opened his mouth to speak.

"I was overpowered."

Midoriya blinked.

"So much so that I broke my pledge."

Midoriya looked down slightly, recalling before when he'd seen Todoroki's shock as he'd used his fire. He hadn't used his fire before then, even if it would've been to his advantage.

And when Todoroki proceeded to tell him his motivations, Midoriya was left slack jawed and shaken. Even as Todoroki described how Endeavor would train him to exhaustion, and how his mother was driven to the point of pouring boiling water onto his face, Midoriya could tell he was glossing over some details. As horrifying as it already was, he was well aware that it was likely even worse than he imagined.

" _Your left side is unsightly._ "

That was the line that echoed through Midoriya's head once Todoroki finished speaking. He couldn't imagine a mother saying that to her own child. And yet, he knew it was Endeavor's fault in the end. It was his fault for abusing his own family and driving his wife mad.

(Todoroki, if he could hear Midoriya's thoughts, would have to agree. He'd relish in the fact that someone else finally understood Endeavor was a terrible man, and not the great hero and father everyone believed he was.)

As Midoriya responded to Todoroki's declaration with his own, just as an aspiring hero would, he made a silent vow to himself. He had to, really, as the pull he felt toward the other was impossible to ignore, and even besides that, he wanted to help him. He wanted to help him and he wanted to fight against him at his full power.

And so, Midoriya made a vow, and he never broke a vow.

* * *

(He was supposed to just focus on the battle, but _god_ was Todoroki angry. His father's image and words burned themselves into his head and he wanted nothing to do with them. His body was tense, and as he was grabbed by Sero's tape, he focused his frustration on the competitor. As he uttered an apology, he could hear the anger practically seeping out of his words and knew who was to blame.)

And as Midoriya watched, taken aback by the quickness of the match, his eyes were focused on Todoroki. As the boy melted the ice that kept Sero trapped, something seemed off. His aura wasn't one of someone who'd just won a match. Midoriya could see no joy or triumph.

Todoroki just seemed incredibly sad.

* * *

(Todoroki stood on the stage, expression betraying no emotion.)

Midoriya stood on the stage, expression betraying too much.

He was prepared. He wanted a fair fight and he was confident that he'd do his best. Of course, he was nervous. Todoroki was a formidable opponent, one of the strongest in their class. Midoriya was focused.

(Todoroki had no plans on prolonging the battle, he'd made it clear to Midoriya that he intended to beat him, and he would just that. But most of all, he wouldn't do it for his father. He'd do it for himself. His fire was useless to him.)

As Present Mic announced that they could start, Midoriya was immediately wary. Todoroki made his first move quickly, shooting ice toward him at a fast pace. He sucked in a breath and waited for the searing pain and he broke a finger, effectively breaking the ice and causing a strong gust of wind. He shielded his eyes, watching as Todoroki was pushed back, using more ice to prevent himself from being pushed out of bounds.

He grit his teeth, analyzing Todoroki's movements and acting accordingly.

Midoriya grimaced, as he'd broken all his fingers on his right hand, and fought through the pain. Todoroki took the opportunity to get in close, and though Midoriya used another finger, Todoroki went up and over, completely dodging the attack.

Midoriya, predicting Todoroki's movements, jumped out of range, but Todoroki sent ice at him and successfully caught Midoriya's foot.

He made the decision to sacrifice his arm, and threw a punch that broke the ice, and sent the pieces along with Todoroki flying backward.

As the air cleared, Midoriya heard Todoroki speak.

"You're a lot more powerful than before."

He sucked in a breath.

"Are you trying to tell me… to stay away…?"

Facing him head on, Midoriya could tell that Todoroki was truly strong. But it wasn't just his quirk. It was everything. His stamina, physical abilities, judgement, they were all strong.

But as Todoroki sent what Present Mic described as a 'finishing' ice attack, Midoriya spoke.

"Where are you looking?"

He used one of his already broken fingers to counteract the attack, and could hear the shock in Todoroki's voice as he mentioned it.

He continued on, "You want to win with only half your strength? You haven't put a single scratch on me yet, you know. Come at me with everything you've got!"

(Now that, that angered Todoroki further.)

Todoroki ran at him, but Midoriya saw at his movements seemed slower. More sluggish.

(Todoroki himself willed his body to resist the cold, refusing to show the shake in his step.)

But as he got even closer, Midoriya positioned himself to punch the other, focusing on using only a portion of his strength. His mind chose that moment to remind him, they could touch. They could touch and Midoriya's worry about them being soulmates could be taken care of.

The soulmate thing. God, Midoriya had forgotten about the soulmate thing. But now, mid-punch, he felt the pull toward Todoroki and pushed it away. But even so, as his other hand moved past Todoroki's face, Midoriya felt their skin connect, his thumb brushing underneath Todoroki's eye, though just for a moment.

(Todoroki certainly felt it. It _burned._ Not a hurtful burn, a burn just _there,_ so intense but causing no pain. Comparable to his fire, he'd say. And just like his fire, he could reject this. He could push down any feelings dug up from this. His facial expression betrayed nothing. He'd never let it.)

Things seemed to happen in slow motion, and as his fist connected with Todoroki's stomach, he felt the other reach up and grab his arm, hand slipping up under his sleeve. Midoriya's eyes widened and he sucked in a breath as Todoroki's hand aligned perfectly, _so perfectly,_ with the mark Midoriya had memorized over the years.

It was strange, the ice crawling up his arm from Todoroki's quirk mixing with the incredible feeling of warmth coming from his mark. It nearly distracted him from the pain of his broken fingers, but then the moment was over and he only felt the ice and the pain.

He cried out in pain, shutting his eyes tightly as it all came rushing back. Quickly though, he opened them again, zeroing in on Todoroki, searching his expression for any change. He couldn't tell though, with Todoroki hunched over, clutching his stomach.

(Midoriya wouldn't have seen anything anyway, Todoroki was only focused on one goal, and he reminded himself of that as he lifted his head up. Soulmates didn't matter.)

He shook his head, and set on pretending that his arm didn't feel slightly lighter than it had minutes before.

He looked at the boy in front of him instead, who stood shivering with an expression that could only be described as murderous. He ran at Midoriya again, using his ice in close combat, but he could dodge it now.

They both fought with all they could, but Todoroki clearly was struggling.

And when he questioned why Midoriya was willing to go so far, Midoriya ran toward him and raised his voice.

"Because I want to be able to smile… and respond to them… to be a cool hero! That's what I want to be!"

He landed another hit on Todoroki.

"Everyone's giving it their all! There's no way I can know all of your circumstances, or your resolve. But fo you to become number one without giving it your all, to completely reject your father... right now, I think you should stop screwing around."

(Todoroki stood, wide eyed. With Midoriya speaking like this, his mind was brought back to all those times with his father. It stirred up emotion within him he was trying to avoid in this fight.)

"It's _your_ power, isn't it?"

(Those words sparked something in Todoroki he thought he was able to keep locked away, far from anyone's reach. His mind was forced to think of his mother, her hopes for him, her belief that he could become a hero. A hero completely unlike his father. Midoriya's words echoed in his head, and his left side tingled, itching to use the quirk. _His_ quirk. He felt a tear roll down his cheek, took a deep breath and-)

-and Midoriya watched as Todoroki's left side lit up in flames.


	6. Chapter 6

(Todoroki, stood in his bathroom, stared at himself in the mirror, and reached his hand up to lightly brush under his eye. To anyone else, it'd seem as if he was focused on his scar, but he was less aware of it in that moment then he had ever been before. He was focused on what was missing. The weight that felt like it had been lifted.

There was no real weight of course, but he couldn't help but feel lighter in a way. Like when he lifted his head, there was just a tad less resistance then there would've been before the sports festival.

He hated it.)

Midoriya, on the other hand, was sat cross-legged on his bed, hands pressed against his cheeks as he looked back and forth between the floor and Uraraka, who was stood in front of him.

"He's my soulmate."

"Yes, yes he is."

 _"He's my soulmate."_

Iida, sat on a chair nearby, sighed, "Yes, Midoriya, Todoroki is your soulmate."

Midoriya lifted his head, and placed his hands limply on his legs. His eyes darted back and forth between Uraraka and Iida, his mouth slightly agape in shock.

 _"Todoroki Shouto is my soulmate. Oh my god."_

Uraraka sighed, placing both of her hands on Midoriya's shoulders as she loomed over him, "Yes, Deku, Todoroki Shouto, son of the number two hero Endeavor, our classmate, is indeed your soulmate."

"It's just. So hard to believe. I mean, I know we speculated but really? He's _really_ my soulmate?"

He felt Uraraka's hands leave his shoulders, and proceeded to lay back on his bed, uncrossing his legs as they laid limp off the edge of his bed.

"Oh, what am I going to do, you guys?"

"Normally I'd have some advice but… I am uncertain on how to proceed from here. My apologies, Midoriya."

Uraraka bit her lip, "Yeah, I… I'm really not sure what you should do here. Maybe try to talk to him? I know he's not the friendliest guy but… that's all I can say."

"Am I even his soulmate?"

"What do you mean?" Uraraka tilted her head slightly to the side, "Of course he is."

"He didn't even seem _phased_ Uraraka. I didn't see a mark either! What if he's my soulmate, but I'm not his? Like, it might be possible, and I'd have luck bad enough wouldn't I? Gosh, it really is possible, I mean, I could ask him, but then it'd be even more awkward if I'm right, and-"

Iida interrupted, sighing, "Midoriya, I'm sure you are thinking too much into this. I have never heard of a case where someone has not had someone as a soulmate who had them as a soulmate."

"Yeah," Midoriya let out a long sigh, nodding, "You're right, Iida, of course."

Internally however, the possibility was still swirling around Midoriya's head, and he wasn't sure he'd be able to cast it aside so easily. It was true, he hadn't seen Todoroki's mark, nor had he seen much of a reaction that would suggest his own mark disappearing. He was rather sure his first contact with him had been a harsh punch to the stomach, as terrible as a first touch as it was. He'd seen Todoroki with his shirt off plenty before thanks to the boys' changing rooms, and Todoroki didn't have a mark anywhere on his torso. So then, if anything, Midoriya thought it was even more likely that he wasn't Todoroki's soulmate than it was for the other option. He grit his teeth, wondering if fate had something against him, to first have him be born quirkless, and now put him in _this_ situation.

"Deku? You're mumbling again. Please try not to overthink things too much, as hard as I know that is for you."

He glanced up at Uraraka's worried face, having been pulled out of his thoughts, "Y-Yeah, I know. I'll try not to."

She nodded and gave him a small smile, "Good."

"And Midoriya? As Uraraka mentioned before, perhaps you should try talking to him. I do think it'd be beneficial."

He sighed, "Okay. I'll try."

* * *

As he walked into class, Midoriya could already feel himself starting to sweat, and his eyes immediately made the decision to look at the one boy on his mind.

Heterochromatic ones stared back, but only for a moment, as Midoriya sucked in a breath and quickly averted his gaze, choosing instead to look toward the floor.

(Todoroki's eyes followed Midoriya, as he made quick work of going to his seat, not once lifting his eyes from the floor. Todoroki let out a light 'hm', before tearing his eyes away, focusing instead on Aizawa.)

Biting his lip, Midoriya risked a glance back, but saw that Todoroki was looking ahead rather than at him, and blinked, wondering if it'd been coincidence that he'd met his gaze before.

He turned his gaze back toward the front, and the rest of the class went without a hitch, though Midoriya often found his eyes being drawn to the back of the classroom. Each time, he'd stare for only a few moments, before lightly shaking his head and focusing back on the class.

* * *

Later, Midoriya found himself staring at Todoroki, as they stood hardly 2 feet from each other. He nervously licked his lips, as Todoroki stared at him with a blank look. Despite his expression being neutral, Midoriya still managed to feel intimidated, and found himself fiddling with the edge of his shirt.

Aizawa had them sparring, but they hadn't gotten to choose their own partners. Their partners were chosen for them, based off of their performance during the sports festival, so they could have someone that wouldn't be too challenging, but not too easy either.

Midoriya was aware he'd likely be matched with Todoroki when he'd heard how they'd be paired, as long as Todoroki wasn't paired with Bakugou instead. And so, whether lucky or unlucky, Bakugou had been paired with Uraraka.

He faintly heard Aizawa say something, but the thing he noticed first was Todoroki's change in stance. That was what told Midoriya sparring was starting.

Midoriya readied himself, and soon after, Todoroki made the first move. As Midoriya's instincts kicked in and he blocked a fast incoming hit, he could swear he felt his skin prickling. Todoroki's wrist brushed against Midoriya's forearm, and the feeling was foreign. It didn't feel the same as when he sparred against Iida. It was as if his mark was still reacting; as if his body still thought this was the first time they were touching.

He looked at Todoroki, noticing a split second pause in the other's movements. He wondered if Todoroki felt what he did. He wondered what on earth could be running through the other boy's head as he searched his unreadable expression.

(Todoroki was surprised at himself as he _did_ feel the same strange sensation as Midoriya did. He, of course, was not aware Midoriya felt it; all he knew was that his body insisted on reminding him of that damned mark. He let out a harsh breath, flicking his gaze back up to Midoriya, hoping he didn't notice the pause, as Todoroki focused on the task at hand.)

Midoriya breathed in, closing his eyes for only a moment to regain his bearings, and carefully readied himself again. He made eye contact with Todoroki as the other boy swept his leg at his own, forcing Midoriya to jump back, increasing the distance between them.

The distance was closed in a short amount of time, and as the sparring continued, Midoriya found they were pretty equally matched. Minimal hits met their intended mark, and his skin still insisted on tingling ever so slightly at each of their touches. He wasn't sure how much time passed as he grew more and more tired, and they eventually slowed their movements, before stopping completely.

Midoriya breathed heavily, and he ran his fingers through his hair, wiping away the strands stuck to his forehead. He wiped his palms on his pants, taking a deep breath before looking back up at Todoroki. He hardly seemed phased, sweat nowhere to be seen. Perks of his quirk, Midoriya guessed.

He glanced behind him, at other pairings, and became aware that sparring time was just about over. He let out a tired sigh, turning his head back around only to see that Todoroki had already walked away. Midoriya pursed his lips, eyebrows furrowed as he made quick work of catching up.

"Hey! Todoroki!"

The other boy turned his head, looking down at Midoriya with an indifferent expression. Midoriya licked his lips, suddenly doubting his own ability to speak properly.

"Uhm. I was just wondering if I could have your phone number, or something." he paused, "I mean- I just thought maybe we could have each other's numbers just in case? Like maybe I could text you if I have a question about schoolwork or something? I mean, not that I want to use you to get out of doing my work! Just once in a while! Just. Maybe it'd be handy if we could text or call each other if we ever needed to. Um." He stared down at his feet, nervously twiddling his fingers.

"Sure."

He blinked, "Huh? O-oh! Great! I mean, cool. Nice."

Todoroki walked on ahead, calling back to him, "I'll give you my number once I've changed."

Midoriya nodded, "okay! Er- okay. Sounds good. Very cool. Awesome."

He puffed out his cheeks, tapping his foot, and walked the rest of the way to the boys' room.

As he stepped inside, he glanced over at Todoroki, who had already managed to change into his regular clothes. Midoriya quickly did the same, thankful to be in more comfortable clothes again. He glanced up again, and saw Todoroki had already left the room.

Midoriya hurriedly snatched up his bag, swinging it over his shoulder, and peeked his head outside the room. Todoroki was leaned against the wall, apparently waiting for Midoriya.

Midoriya fully stepped out and cleared his throat quietly.

Todoroki pushed himself off the wall, and turned himself so he was facing the shorter boy.

"Um, here," Midoriya pulled his phone out of his pocket, fumbling to find his contacts and click to add a new one, "you can put your number in here."

Todoroki said nothing, only taking his phone from his hands. Midoriya tensed up as their hands brushed against each other, sucking in a breath. Todoroki didn't seem to notice, as he simply typed his number into his phone, and handed it back to Midoriya.

By the time Midoriya mumbled a thanks and looked back up, Todoroki had already began walking away.

He looked back down, tapped the message button on Todoroki's contact, and his thumbs lingered over the keyboard. After a moment, he typed out half of a word, before sighing and deleting it. He glanced at the screen for a moment longer, before turning off his phone's display and shoving it back into his pocket.

* * *

 **Urararararaka:** _so, Deku, have you messaged Todoroki yet? its already almost 11 pm!_

 **The Flash:** _I am also curious as to if you have or not._

 **Broccoli:** _hhh not yet;; i kind of chickened out;;;_

 **Urararararaka:** _come on Deku! You can do it!_

 **The Flash:** _We believe in you, Midoriya!_

 **Broccoli:** _hhh okay,,, im gonna do it_

 **Urararararaka:** _yay!_

* * *

 **Midoriya:** _Hi, Todoroki! It's Midoriya. Just thought I'd send a text, so you can have my number in your contacts._

* * *

 **Broccoli:** _okay okay i just sent a little hi, i dont know if he'll respond,,, but i did it_

 **Urararararaka:** _good job! you two'll be close in no time!_

 **Broccoli:** _haha;;; i dont know about that_

* * *

Midoriya stared at the screen, waiting to see if he'd get a response. He wasn't dumb, he was aware it wasn't a message that required a response, but he still couldn't help but hope for some acknowledgment.

20 minutes past with no message back before Midoriya sighed, setting his phone face down on his night stand. He rolled over in his bed, staring at the wall for a few moments, before he shut his eyes and let himself drift off to sleep.

* * *

(Todoroki stared at his phone screen, as a notification showed a text from an unregistered number. He wondered why he had agreed to giving Midoriya his number in the first place. A lapse of judgement, he guessed. He sighed, staring at the screen a moment more before tapping on the notification, and typing out a short message.)

 **Todoroki:** _Hi._

* * *

 **Hi! As always, you can find me on Tumblr as oddly_tiny_scissors and on Twitter as tiny_scissors**


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